7-Eleven opens on Palmetto beach corridor

A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place Dec. 19 at new store at The Boca Beach… (submitted photo, FPG )

December 28, 2012|Marci Shatzman mshatzman@tribune.com

It's not the company's only 7-Eleven geared toward locales and beach goers, and there's already a Subway on the beach block.

But when the new, 24-hour convenience store at 831 E. Palmetto Park Road had a soft opening Dec. 17 and a ribbon cutting with the mayor Dec. 19, it was seen as an anchor to produce more customers on the corridor leading to Boca's beaches.

"This 7-Eleven will enhance and help other retail on the street," Mayor Susan Whelchel announced outside the store. "Change is often hard for people, but change can be extremely positive."

"This was an empty building for four years that couldn't be rented. I think it was a dive or a surf shop," said Boca Raton architect Doug Mummaw, part of the renovation team for Investments Limited, Jim, Marta and their son Armen Batmasian's properties east of the Intracoastal.

Already renamed The Boca Beach Shops with a new logo and signage, city leaders and the landlord knew they had to do something, despite pushback by some neighbors. No residents attended the opening, and store manager Matt Hufty said he felt welcomed by other store owners. "We want to assure the local community we will keep this safe," Hufty said.

Knowing concerns in advance, the store was planned with wider aisles, granite counters and designed to be more upscale than the usual 7-Eleven. "We're working strongly on cleanliness and customer service," Hufty said. "We want to be up to Boca standards."

That meant a healthier food inventory: Yogurt parfaits, organics, fresh fruit, salads and wraps are up front next to the usual doughnuts, chips and candy. There's even a wine rack, and the store will sell microbrews along with the six-packs.

"We'll constantly listen to our customers' needs. We're all ears," Hufty said, adding there will still be pizza, hot dogs, wings, mini tacos and other hot fast food. "We'll continue to offer value," he said, noting they have a full-service lottery.

The section with boogie boards, beach towels, chairs and beach toys isn't something new for 7-Eleven. Market manager Eric Donihoo said the brand also has beach stores in Deerfield Beach, Singer Island and Fort Lauderdale. "We expect to sell a lot of cold beverages," Hufty added.

It took about three months to remodel the store and bump out the back for an office and storage, said district manager Matt Pickelsimer. There's parking next to and behind the store, 140 spaces and on-street parking along the entire street, Mummaw said. They lost a few spaces to handicap parking to comply with Americans with Disability standards, he said.

The building to the immediate west is almost finished, and a high-end swimwear shop will go in there, Mummaw said. The largest building, 877 to 899 E. Palmetto Park Road to the east, is next up for renovation. Then the company plans to redo the shops under the Intracoastal bridge to the west.

All the stores will have the same landscaping, lighting and pavers to give them a unified look and make them more attractive to tenants, Mummaw added.

The construction and engineering companies working with Investments Limited on the stores are also local and their management teams attended the opening. They include CJM Construction of Pompano Beach. President Chuck Marchitello Jr. is from Boca Raton, knew the mayor and went to school with Whelchel's children. John A. Grant Jr. Inc., the consulting and sub-surface utility engineers and land surveyors, is a family business in Boca Raton, said W. Keith Grant, president.